In-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same

Abstract

An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a gate line on the first substrate; a data line crossing the gate line to define a pixel region including a plurality of domains; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; a common line parallel to and spaced apart from the gate line; a common electrode extending from the common line and having a ring shape; a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor and having a ring shape, the pixel electrode alternating with the common electrode; and a liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the second substrate, the liquid crystal layer in neighboring domains having orientation directions different from each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device, comprising:
 first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; 
 a plurality of gate lines on the first substrate; 
 a plurality of data lines crossing the plurality of gate lines to define a plurality of sub-pixel regions; 
 a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; 
 a common line parallel to and spaced apart from the gate line; 
 a common electrode extending from the common line and having a ring shape; 
 a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor and having a ring shape, the pixel electrode alternating with the common electrode; 
 a liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the second substrate, the liquid crystal layer in neighboring sub-pixel regions having orientation directions different from each other; 
 a first capacitor electrode connected to the thin film transistor; 
 a second capacitor electrode overlapping the common electrode; and 
 a pixel connecting line combining the first and second capacitor electrodes. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein each sub-pixel region has a square shape. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 , wherein neighboring four sub-pixel regions display red, green, blue and white colors, respectively, and constitute one pixel region. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 3 , wherein first and second orientation directions of the liquid crystal layer in neighboring two sub-pixel regions are substantially perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the first orientation direction is one of 0° direction and 45° direction with respect to a direction parallel to the gate line, and the second orientation direction is one of 90° direction and 135° direction. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 5 , further comprising a first polarizing plate outside the first substrate and a second polarizing plate outside the second substrate, wherein the first polarizing plate has a first direction of 90° to 270° and the second polarizing plate has a second direction of 0° to 180°. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal layer is oriented using one of a rubbing method, a photo-orientation method, a plasma method, an ion beam method and an electron beam method. 
     
     
       8. A method of fabricating an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device, comprising:
 forming a plurality of gate lines on a first substrate; 
 forming a plurality of data lines crossing the plurality of gate lines to define a plurality of sub-pixel regions; 
 forming a thin film transistor connected to each of the gate lines and the data lines; 
 forming a common line parallel to and spaced apart from the gate line; 
 forming a common electrode extending from the common line and having a ring shape; 
 forming a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor and having a ring shape, the pixel electrode alternating with the common electrode; 
 forming a first capacitor electrode connected to the thin film transistor, a second capacitor electrode overlapping the common electrode and a pixel connecting line combining the first and second capacitor electrodes; 
 attaching the first substrate and a second substrate such that the first substrate faces and is spaced apart from the second substrate; 
 forming a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates; 
 orientating the liquid crystal layer in neighboring sub-pixel regions to have orientation directions different from each other.